S.E.X. – stash enhancement experience; needlework-related purchases. Must always be spelled with periods to avoid being listed on the “bad” web search engines!

SABLE – Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy

on the wagon – a period of time where one avoids any new acquisition of stash

StRIP – Stash Reduction Implementation Plan, usually done when SABLE has been achieved. Typically, no new purchases are allowed for a set amount of time and/or until a certain amount of stash is used up. A person who does this is a StRIPper. See on the wagon.

I have still been working on Mari and she is slowly progressing. I have somehow managed to crease my working copy of the chart almost beyond readable, so I may have to make a new copy. So here she is so far:

For my birthday my fiance asked me what I would like. I had just found an awesome designer who does a lot of fan cross stitch, so he very kindly bought me the Harry Potter sampler. You can just see Ron’s hair here. It is quite large – 205x 516, and has the important characters and things from each of the 7 years.

And the awesome sparkles in the HP logo. This was pain and took me three goes to get to work *mostly* how it was supposed to. (FROGGING – rippit, rippit!). I used blending filament that I had on hand, which is not a favourite thing.

My life has started to return to normal. I finished university, with better marks than I expected, we are about 70% organised for the wedding – I have my dress, he has his suit, we have a venue and celebrant, so it is just the caterer to finalise, and we are back from our holiday.

So I picked up my pixies again. Luna and Mari are both progressing. I still need to buy the latest 6 bewitching pixies, but that will be after the wedding, plus I want to get the mermaids as well. The pixies really are such quick projects compared to a lot of the other ones I do.

I finally picked up my stitching again… mostly because it calms me down when I am frustated. No pictures yet, but hopefully soon.

Between trying to organise a wedding and going back to university, this year has been very full on. I have 3 assignments due – 1 a week for 3 weeks, 2 are done, so one to go, and then I start my high school teaching placement.

As far as the wedding goes, I am getting frustrated with the caterer. We want to have an afternoon tea, not a meal, not cocktails, and apparently this is such a weird concept that it does not compute! They keep trying to give us cocktail menus, with desserts as an extra, which is just, well, NO! All I want is scones, jam and cream, and vanilla slice, and pavlova, but apparently weddings are supposed to be full meals and heavy… meh!/ end rant

I will try to post photos as soon as she stops looking like a checkerboard, and has more colours than black and red 😀

There are no photos today. I enrolled in university to do my Graduate Diploma of Education, so all my time is being sucked into the black hole of study, and working on clothes for work. I have spent the last 5 years wearing a supplied uniform, so my work wardrobe is sadly lacking.

Next week I am going overseas for a 10 day holiday, which was booked before I decided to enrol in uni. For as long as I am working where I am working I plan to take this time of year off every year – there is a big car race on, which completely ruins the traffic and makes a 60 minute drive to work into a 2 hour drive.

When I come back, I have work and 2 weeks to write a lit review, then start my practical a week later.

This is my life for the next 6.5 months. But it will improve my employment opportunities, so it will be good after it is all done.